Willful

Willful is a legal term defined by the U.S. Supreme Court as follows:

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In common usage the word "willful" is considered synonymous with such words as "voluntary," "deliberate," and "intentional." See Roget's International Thesaurus § 622.7, p. 479; § 653.9, p. 501 (4th ed. 1977). The word "willful" is widely used in the law, and, although it has not by any means been given a perfectly consistent interpretation, it is generally understood to refer to conduct that is not merely negligent. The standard of willfulness that was adopted in Thurston -- that the employer either knew or showed reckless disregard for the matter of whether its conduct was prohibited by the statute -- is surely a fair reading of the plain language of the Act.

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McLaughlin v. Richland Shoe Co., 486 U.S. 128, 133 (1988).